Characters
Sir, there may never be another time to say... I love you, sir.
— Smithers • The Simpsons
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The possibility of running out of time makes the confession urgent. Smithers keeps the formal address even as he says something deeply personal. That combination of deference and affection gives the line its tension: the feeling is finally spoken, but the distance between them remains audible.
Context reviewed